Variety in Cycling
 

-
William Cowper's poem, “The Task,” includes the line: “Variety is the very spice of life, That gives it all its flavor.” I find the same true for cycling. I enjoy variety in my riding experiences, both in where I ride and what I ride. However, I find that many other cyclists are somewhat territorial, and only like their kind of cycling experience. They may be only a road cyclist, or only a mountain biker. Or they may like upright bikes, but not recumbents. Or vice versa.
-
My stable includes bikes in a number of categories, including: road; touring; hybrid; urban; mountain; fat; fixie; single speed, and; vintage. I also have recumbent bikes, both long and short wheel base, and recumbent trikes too. I have multi-rider bikes as well, including tandems, a triplet and a sociable. I even have a unicycle.
-
So I’m wondering, how many cyclist out there, like me, have to have variety to keep them interested and motivated? If you’re the opposite and are exclusive to one type of bike or one way of riding, is there a reason for that? Have you tried other cycling experiences and not liked them, or just stuck with what you are used to because that’s good for you?
-
(As long as you’re doing what you want, there are no right or wrong ways of cycling. So there are no right or wrong opinions. And there are no right or wrong posts on this thread. I'm just interested in what others think.)
-

I only ride recumbents now that I'm getting older. I have a 2 wheel tiller steering bent with a 20" front and 26" rear that I use most of the time. When the weather gets bad, or I need extra carrying capacity, I have a Carbon Strada velomobile.

I rode the velo in this morning in sub freezing temps, and while it was cold. I wore about what I would for ~40F temps and it was pretty comfortable.

Most of my cycling friends own a variety of types of bikes. I myself have a road bike, cross bike, TT bike, beater/commuter, and FG. I'm also planning to get a hard-tail MTB to do the local race series in the spring.

Anything I've chosen to participate in for health, hobby, or fun, is limited by money, time, or space.

When I was into canoeing, I only had the space and money for one canoe. When I was into motorcycling, I only had the money and space for up to two motorcycles at a time (off and on road).

Any year I've been into bicycling, I've only had the time and space for up to two bicycles at one time. I got as many as three bicycles at one time, but my wife didn't allow that for long. "What do you need three bicycles for? We need this space in the garage for . . . "

When I was a young adult before I had kids, I had all kinds of time. Now in middle age, I have little time for myself. Work, chores, helping family, etc. Yesterday at work was 13+ hours. Today, I took the day off, but it was to handle things due to my stepson totaling his car 1.5 weeks ago. Now I need to log out so I can do the yard work. :o

When I do get time to myself to ride one of my bikes, it is a sliver of time in my day and it raises my spirits immensely. :speedy:

Variety has many variations.
My variety in vintage was by country - limited to 1 from each major 'Euro' (what is GB these days?) cycling country. Italy got the pass for more. A few are still missing.

My variety in 'modern' bikes - those with brifters and 10spd - ran more to frame material, hence CF, Ti, new lugged steel.
edit: this thread needs pics:
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...255cb74c6.jpeg

The 70s above, the 80s below. Good variety in color!
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...28854bed3.jpeg



Along the way variety has been in
frame sizes = 58 - 63cm,
cockpit = saddle/handlebar/stem/hoods/pedals

But variety in scenery and terrain is great. Almost always have a bike when away on trips.

Cycling is a big universe - room for many variations.
Even disc brakes and tubeless tires and carbon forks and ebikes and recumbents and......,
:)

In the land of the free (if you can afford it), and home of the brave (from 20,000 ft/behind a steering wheel), money and space are defining factors.... At the same time, Lao Tzu (some 2600 years ago) opined that one can know the world without leaving home (existing within and as the Tao).

So, I move through the world on one, C&V machine... affordable, sturdy, freely in the elements, flowing bravely through the traffic, minimizing harm to the existence that supports us all....

..

For me N=2, road bike and CX for winter and foul weather.

In my collection;

Shopper folder
3-wheel Recumbent
3-speed English
27-speed MTB
e-tandem

Fairly diverse.

I could do with a drop-bar gravel bike, much as i dislike drops, just so i have a head-down bike.

I would get bored with the same old bike, or forced to ride the same old routes. I have at least one road bike and a mtb around at any given time, but usually more since I like to wrench on bikes. These days I might go on a fast road ride, a multi surface grinder on everything from pavement to single track, or a local mtb trails the next day with black diamond sections.

MTB,
Track,
Fixed (Road),
TT,
2x Road

For 6 bikes in total. A new MTB would be nice but not on the radar anytime soon; if I did I would turn the old one into a fully rigid SS.

When you start to progress beyond "middle age" you begin to have all kinds of time again. This is especially true if you're fortunate enough to be able to retire. But I would trade every moment of riding time I have now for the kind of time I spent with my children when they were growing up. They are grown and in college now. So whatever stage of life you are in, and whatever you spend your time doing, just enjoy what you've got while you've got it.

Road bike for road riding.

Touring bike for loaded touring and commuting/around town transportation.

Road bike (love it, my go to ride and daily commuter)
Belt drive (crappy weather commuter)
MB (ride it to the gym or if I go off road)
Tandem

Then my wife has 2. Our garage is pretty full.

Never having been in the Navy I none-the-less adhere to KISS with emphasis on the SS.


Not a problem with same bike, same roads, same time riding.


e.g. -- 7 day cruise ends tomorrow AM. Monday night is Full Moon so out at midnight for another Midnight Madness 100 miler and will most likely follow on Wednesday night and probably Saturday. Have to enjoy the MOON LIT ROADS while it shines.

A road bike.
A gravel bike.
And a mountain bike.
A recumbent would be cool. But I have a hard enough time finding the time to ride what I already have.

I like variety, but mostly to keep my preferred bike/ ride type from getting stale. 60% road bike: I don’t mind (even welcome) the monotony of my regular routes because I can focus on my efforts and results. 30% mountain bike with my wife, exploring the bush country (we live up north). The final 10% is a cross bike I used to use to wander but now am using to try to train myself to commute.

I ride the same route, to work and back, every weekday, and I do it on the same bike. However, I find infinite variety in the lengthening and shortening of the day and the changing of the seasons. There's rainstorms, snow, wind, heat, cold, and sun. In a bit over a month, I'll be coming home with a bright moon overhead.

I have a variety of vintage road bikes and one mountain bike that I rode for the first time in a few years last weekend. I do appreciate the subtle differences in each bike and really enjoyed hitting the dirt last weekend. Joe. joesvintageroadbikes.wordpress

Gravel bike
3 road bikes from different periods, all modern drivetrains though.
Modern MTB.
Touring/commuting bike.

I've reduced the fleet this year by 3 and still have overlap.
The 6 I have is plenty...for now.


If I get to the point of wanting a recumbent, it will be the same time I get the the point of taking up a different hobby.
More power to those who ride bents, but I have 0 interest.

Variety ... in both cycles and routes ... is the spice of life. :)

Road bike,
cross bike,
steel road bike,
touring bike,
hybrid,

why not?

thankyou for saying what ive also been saying for a long time....bf people are seriously uptight sticks in the mud ...I also have df bikes recumbents and a mountain bike.....they all add to the bike riders training program

Another... https://ih0.redbubble.net/image.9350...1000,075,f.jpg

I like it all, carbon, steel, friction shift, (down tube shifters, toe clips, not so much!), Di2, centerpull, side pull, disc brake, carbon wheels, skinny alloy, shiny, dull, it's all good for me. Ride what you love, love what you ride. I've never owned a mountain bike. Though I have ridden a few, they just don't work for me. I've done a little gravel, road raced back in the day, love big charity rides, Eroica, small club rides, solo rides, driving SAG support, but never done a multi day tour. My stable includes 5 vintage steel, 1 modernish aluminum, 2 carbon. Cycling is a great pastime, just get out and enjoy 🚴 the ride!